Chapter 11: Breaking News

When the ordeal was over, Chanel Six, ever the opportunistic station, interviewed Mina and Bill. The station had had a bad news day...

That's a day when NOTHING happens.

A good news day has murder, mayhem, fires and tornados. Good news days include people like councilmen and mayors getting arrested for fraud or vote buying, and pedophiles by the score being rounded up in a 'Sting' by the TBI and shipped to the holding cells ... where, naturally, the turnkey just happens to mention to the Harris twins, that the new occupants are 'bony fide preverts of the first water.'

The Harris twins, all of six foot six and pure muscle, have a braincell between the two ... and that lonely cell has a penchant for violence.

Just smart enough to walk and chew gum, the boys could be counted upon to liberally fuck up a 'prevert.' Yes Sir ... to those boys, guilty is a given ... if you were in the same cell ... you were by god guilty! Never mind the Court.

This wasn't one of those days.

The Big news of the day was Memaw Smith and her quilting circle. The ladies had just finished piecing the Double Wedding-ring top and they were fixing to batt it and commence to the hand work next week ... if Mrs. Johns survived her heartburn, that is.

Nope, the only chance for NEWS were Bill and Mina, the Sutherlands, who had just returned from Austin where they were grilled by the History Department at the University. The reporter wasn't interested in the lecture and question and answer period ... Nope ... she wanted to know what the Governors' airplane was like inside. How many pilots it had and was the flight attendant as pretty, young and shapely as rumor had it ... did she seem 'friendly?' She wasn't looking for smiling and efficient.

The reporter ... she said ... The people have a Right to know ... wanted to know if the 'Stew' offered membership in the mile high club.

"Well, no ... we have our own plane for things like that." Bill smirked.

"I heard," she snidely remarked, "that the State bought you a fancy dress ball gown for the lecture."

"Why, yes. Would you like to see it?" Mina was proud of that dress. It was the first piece of clothing she'd ever had that actually fit. Right there on the tarmac, she popped open her suitcase and gingerly picked up the piece of confetti. The reported was shocked. It was more modest than a prom dress.

Mina said, "nice isn't it. It even fits my bust. Bill got a monkey suit. Bill, show the nice lady your tuxedo."

Bill opened his carry on and showed off his Tux.

This wasn't at all like the reporter planned. She wanted 'Dirt.'

"And how was the flight?"

"Mina flew right seat, on the way down. They let me fly right seat on the way back."

Ah, the scandal of it all.

The governor's crew wouldn't let the camera crew in the plane, so Bill volunteered Blue. "The governors plane looks a lot like ours ... pretty much. The interior might be a match except for the state seal on the bulkhead."

The camera crew shot lots of tape of the inside of the plane.

The interview lasted a whole half hour ... it would have made a nice documentary for Beechcraft.

The reporter asked a great many questions ... not one related to the discussion at the University.

The reporter shook hands all around and left.

In passing she said, "I'm not promising anything, you understand. You'll probably get a no picture mention of the trip ... it all depends on the news. Can I get you to sign a release for publication, just in case?"

The governor's crew wouldn't sign ... they were public employees ... but Bill and Mina signed. They jumped in Mina's jeep and headed home.

Mina wanted ice cream and Bill wanted dill pickle slices for the burgers they planned for the evening meal. She had a difficult time deciding which flavor and what brand but she took strawberry. Bill got Kosher Dills. Mina paid. Once home they propped and topped ... propped feet on the ottoman and opened a Coke.

DD was recovered but Bill was massaging her back ... she had such nice skin ... and her recovering brain asked a lot of questions about the trip and the big audience for the debate ... for that's what it turned out to be ... a debate. Bill's side and Mina's side of the essay question. The twins had proven a solid grasp of the subject, extending their arguments to Egypt and the Indus Valley. They broke new ground and demonstrated a solid command of history. It was a scholarly and genteel meeting, they had a lot of fun, but neither changed the other's mind.